Proconsul major

Proconsul major
Temporal range: Miocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: †Proconsulidae
Genus: †Proconsul
Species:
†P. major
Binomial name
†Proconsul major
Le Gros Clark & Leakey, 1950
Synonyms

Ugandapithecus major Le Gros Clark & Leakey, 1950

Proconsul major, an extinct primate of the genus Proconsul, was possibly the ancestor of Afropithecus and showed hominid characteristics. It occurred during the early Miocene and was roughly, the size of a gorilla. The species previously referred to as Ugandapithecus major is now considered to be a synonym of Proconsul major.[1] Prior to 2000 it was known as Proconsul major[2] and some argue against the renaming.[3]

Proconsul major lived on the continent of Africa in the region around Moroto, Uganda. Based upon dental morphology, Proconsul major was a frugivorous species.

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tuttle 10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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